Nigel Farage Tells Tories To Replace David Cameron With Michael Gove

Ukip leader Nigel Farage has told the Tories the only way he would consider an electoral pact would be if they dumped David Cameron and replaced him as prime minister with Michael Gove.

On Monday Michael Fabricant, a vice-chair of the Conservative Party, floated the idea of doing a deal with Ukip that would see Farage's party not running candidates against the Tories in exchange for a in/out referendum on EU membership.

But Farage said there could be "no deals with the Tories: it's war", blaming the prime minister's previous claims that the party was one of "closet racists".

"Cameron's comments over the Rotherham case mean a deal's simply not possible," he told Fabricant on Twitter

However speaking on the BBC's Daily Politics programme on Monday afternoon, Farage indicated he would be prepared to do a deal with the Tories if the party ditched Cameron as leader.

"It's very difficult to see how you could ever do a deal with someone who is consistently rude about you," he said.

"He is the major obstacle. If Cameron went and somebody pragmatic, grown up and sensible like Michael Gove was leader then you might think then we could sit round the table and have a discussion."

Appearing on the same programme, Fabricant noted Farage's previous statement that he would consider an electoral pact if he was given the promise "written in blood" of a public vote on EU membership.

The Litchfield MP said: "If we feel in 24 months time we want a deal with Ukip ... I'll donate a pint."

Conservative central office has slapped Fabricant down, insisting he does not "speak for the party on this issue".

"The safest way to protect Britain's interest in Europe is to vote Conservative. That's why we'll have Conservative candidates in every seat at the next election," the party said in a statement.